Leeds v Chelsea: 11 arrests made at cup clash

POLICE made a total of 11 arrests at the Capital One Cup football match between Leeds United and Chelsea.

The game, which was witnessed by a capacity crowd of nearly 34,000 fans, ended in a 5-1 defeat for the Whites but the policing operation on the night has been hailed as “successful”.

Police were made aware of reports of items allegedly being thrown by away supporters during the game, which have resulted in some of the arrests.

Pictures of items including a white snooker cue ball that was allegedly thrown have been circulating the internet.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “We are aware of various items being thrown from the away support and arrests have been made in relation to this.

“CCTV footage from the club is also being analysed as part of the investigation with the potential for banning orders to be issued in due course.”

Leeds striker Luciano Becchio earned the Whites a 1-0 lead in the tie before a Chelsea fightback secured the Blues victory.

Chief Superintendent Paul Money added: “The vast majority of supporters acted in a responsible and good natured way on what was an exciting night where both sets of fans stirred up echoes of days gone by with an excellent atmosphere.

“While locally the result was obviously disappointing, I was pleased to be part of a successful policing operation which ensured that over 33,000 people, including many families and young fans, were able to enjoy the game in safety

“Given the size of the crowd and the history between both clubs we saw very few arrests and I would again pay tribute to the fans for the part they played in making sure the focus of last night stayed with the football on the pitch.”